frenchfoodADM; everyone has been told about the chat, but I wanted to send a quick reminder, but our mail list is down so hopefully we get a decent crowd in here, they should be showing up shortly 

MSEDGE; No problem. Do you plan to give an "intro?" 

crystal; yes, it's still a little early 

frenchfoodADM; it's about 25 degrees here today, how is it where you are? 

MSEDGE; Where you you located? 

frenchfoodADM; I'm in Saginaw Michigan 

MSEDGE Oh, that's right. North of my home-town, Flint. 

crystal; brb 

frenchfoodADM; well, I sent out a detailed letter with your website and info. in it to announce the chat so I think most everyone knows your story (at least the one you share online) many wrote to me after the announcement and were very impressed with your work, that's how I heard about you, through another writers recommendation of your book 

crystal; back. 

MSEDGE; Fine. By the way, we began advertising my Writers' Holday in Italy 5 days ago and already have five students. the book is making a hit--due, probably to the unique marketing techniques. Let me tell you what I am currently working on. 

crystal; please do... 

MSEDGE I have approached an Italian publisher to produce my next book--on archaeology. 

frenchfoodADM; that sounds so nice, the cooking classes as well 

MSEDGE; Rather than let him offer me a contract, I gave him a proposal--AND CONTRACT--for an English and Italian Edition...and laid out the terms. 

frenchfoodADM; archaeology, you have many interests, is it any harder working overseas as an American? 

MSEDGE; Actually, I find it much easier.. 

frenchfoodADM; you make your own contracts? Is that difficult to do? 

MSEDGE; American writers, in general, get more respect because editors see them as "the cream of the crop". This is a book contract--and I have handled many for my own titles as well as those of others. In this particular case, I am asking for 17% of everything. 

frenchfoodADM; I'd love to come up with a different angle for a cookbook after my next trip to France, I'll have to start reading your books for ideas, you are translating as well? 

crystal; may I ask what took you to Italy? 

frenchfoodADM; what is the standard rate? 10%? 

MSEDGE; No. I just did a translation for my brother -in -law (we now share THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET book on Amazon.com... but I hated it. I know standard rate is 10% for books...that's why I asked for 17 

frenchfoodADM; you're good 

MSEDGE; Additionally, I told the publisher that I would handle marketing in the USA as well as foregin rights sales--for 50% 

crystal; being a well respected writer has it's perks! 

frenchfoodADM;Mediterranean diet eh, I"ll have to check that one out 

MSEDGE; Hi Jennifer/Marine... 

frenchfoodADM; I need more guts Michael, I'm no good at marketing. Hi guys 

Marnie; Hi there 

MSEDGE; The key is to have so much confidence that you can walk into a publisher and say..."I can help you." 

Jennifer; hello all 

frenchfoodADM; there are over 400 momwriters, but it's a weekend and I have no idea how many will show up today, 

MSEDGE; Ann, we need some ground rules...or I can go off into my various projects--and I have about 20 at any given time. How about someone asks a question, then everyone waits for me to reply? 

frenchfoodADM; sounds great, if we get too many people talking we'll do a protocol chat, If you have a question type ? and I'll call on you to ask your question, everyone is clamming up it seems why don't you tell us about your latest projects in more detail 

MHS; AM BACK. DROPPED OFF FOR A MINUTE...DUE TO SERVER PROBLEMS...THEN COULDN'T GET BACK ON WITH MY NAME...BECAUSE THE COMPUTER HAD ME ALREADY LISTED. 

frenchfoodADM; oh, sorry, it does that, I was wondering if it was my machine or what, If anyone has a question just type a ? and I'll call on you 

Jennifer; ? 

MHS; IT'S MINE...AND FORGIVE THE CAPS. I FIGURED THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW IT IS ME. 

frenchfoodADM; no problem, go ahead Jennifer 

MHS; IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, LET ME TELL YOU HOW I AM MARKETING MY NOVEL. 

frenchfoodADM; I think Jennifer has a question Michael 

Jennifer; well, this is a dumb question, but I figure it'll get the ball rolling :-) What is the single piece of advice you give out most often? 

crystal; ? 

MHS; SELL GLOBALLY. THAT IS, WHEN YOU WRITE AN ARTICLE (OR QUERY) SEND IT TO 10-20 MARKETS AROUND THE WORLD. 

Marnie; ? 

MHS; CONSIDER YOUR ARTICLE A PIE. DON'T SELL THE ENTIRE THING. CUT IT INTO PIECES AND SELL EACH SLICE SEPARATELY. 

frenchfoodADM; Marnie, go ahead 

MHS; I HAVE ONE STORY THAT HAS SOLD 20+ TIMES IN 15 YEARS, BRINGING BE $15,000. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? 

Marnie; how do you find the most appropriate global markets? 

Jennifer; ? 

MHS; I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 21 YEARS--ORIGINALLY I PUBLISHED THE MARKETS ABROAD NEWSLETTER. THE INTERNET HAS MADE IT SO MUCH EASIER. THEN I VISIT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS (PICK UP LOTS OF MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS) BUT THE INTERNET CAN BE SEARCHED. 

frenchfoodADM; the markets abroad newsletter is it still being published? 

Marnie; ? 

MHS; NO. WE STOPPED PUBLISHING THE NEWSLETTER WHEN ALLWORTH PRESS RELEASED MY BOOK, THE WRITER'S AND PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO GLOBAL MARKETS (WHICH LISTS ABOUT 1000 PUBLICATIONS) 

frenchfoodADM; Jennifer go ahead with your question, write that book name down everyone! Jennifer could you go into more detail about how a story is like a pie? do you mean rights or what? 

MHS; YES... WHEN I PRODUCE A STORY, I MAKE A LIST OF WHERE IT MIGHT SELL... FOR EXAMPLE, ITALY, GERMANY, JAPAN, USA, SINGAPORE, ETC. THEN, AS I AM WRITING, I LOOK FOR MARKETS IN THOSE COUNTRIES. ONCE I HAVE THEM, I SEND QUERIES==TODAY EVERYTHING BY E-MAIL--AND I OFFER "EXCLUSIVITIES" TO EVERYONE. BY EXAMPLE, "EXCLUSIVE GERMAN LANGUAGE RIGHTS... EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS IN ITALY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE...EXCLUSIVE "ROME" RIGHTS... THE KEY IS TO GIVE EDITORS WHAT THEY "NEED" NOT WHAT THEY ASK FOR. 

frenchfoodADM; great tip Michael 

MHS; YOU CAN EVEN DO THIS DOMESTICALLY--I HAVE SOLD "EXCLUSIVE GENESSEE COUNTY RIGHTS" TO A NEWPAPER, AND THE EDITOR WAS THRILLED BECAUSE HE GOT AN "EXCLUSIVITY." NEXT QUESTION... 

frenchfoodADM; Marnie, go ahead 

Marnie; How do you determine which "exclusivity" each editor will go for? 

MHS; YOU NEED TO "KNOW" THEIR MARKET, READERSHIP, DISTRIBUTION AREA. AN INFLIGHT MAGAZINE WANTS EXCLUSIVITY FOR INFLIGHT PUBLICATIONS -- WORLDWIDE, A TRAVEL MAGAZINE IN THE USA, DOES NOT NEED UK OR JAPAN RIGHTS. A NEWSPAPER THAT COVERS NEW YORK CITY DOES NOT NEED LOS ANGELES RIGHTS. DO YOU GET THE PICTURE? 

frenchfoodADM; exactly, makes good sense 

Marnie; Is it mainly geographical then? 

MHS; I COLLECT LOTS OF PRESS KITS FROM ADVERTING OFFICES IN THOSE KITS ARE "ALL" THE DEMOGRAPHICS. MARNIE, IN MOST CASES, IT IS GEOGRAPHICS... BUT I GO EVEN FURTHER AND OFFER LANGUAGE RIGHTS AS WELL. FOR INSTANCE, IF A MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN TOKYO IN ENGLISH--LIKE MINIWORLD. I WILL OFFER THE EDITOR "EXCLUSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RIGHTS IN JAPAN" NO MORE, NO LESS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT SHE NEEDS. NEXT QUESTION 

frenchfoodADM; language rights? does this mean you are responsible for translation or are they? 

MHS; I HAVE ONLY TRANSLATED TWO ARTICLES IN MY CAREER. MOST OF THE TIME, THE BETTER PAYING PUBLICATIONS WILL HAVE TRANSLATORS. I OFFER EVERYTHING IN ENGLISH. 

frenchfoodADM; that's good, my French is rusty, anyone else with questions? Type a ? if you want to be next 

MHS; LAST WEEK, FOR INSTANCE, AFTER PROPOSING AN ARTICLE IN ENGLISH TO A PUBLICATION IN HOLLAND, THE EDITOR CAME BACK AND OFFER $700--AND THEY TRANSLATE. NEXT 

Marnie; ? 

frenchfoodADM; go ahead Marnie 

Marnie; presumably these editors are all accepting of queries in english? 

MHS; YES. 

Marnie; ? 

MHS; ARE MOST OF US INTERESTED IN ARTICLES, BOOKS, FICTION? 

frenchfoodADM; articles and eventually nonfiction books like cookbooks for me 

MHS; A GOOD TOPIC...COOK BOOKS. 

crystal; articles and fiction here 

Marnie; myself - articles, short stories and fiction book 

hanhayes; articles and non-fiction essays mainly for me 

frenchfoodADM; there is a good assortment of different writers on the list 

crystal; ? 

frenchfoodADM; ready for another question Michael? 

MHS; I'VE DONE A FEW THOUSAND ARTICLES, ABOUT 9 BOOKS, CONTRIBUTED TO 14 OTHERS, CHILDREN'S SKITS, HAVE THREE UNPUBLISHED NOVELS, AND JUST SENT TWO SCREENPLAYS TO A PRODUCER--AT HIS REQUEST. SO I'VE DONE JUST ABOUT ALL AND CAN COMMENT WHERE NEEDED. AFTER WE'RE DONE, YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY "DOLCE VITA WRITERS' HOLIDAY" AT   (Link not available at this time)

MHS IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, LET ME TELL YOU HOW I WORK--WITH ARTICLES. 

frenchfoodADM; ok, we're still drooling over the Italian retreat idea 

MHS; EACH WEEK I SET A GOAL TO SEND OUT ONE NEW QUERY TO 5 GLOBAL MARKETS. AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS, THAT'S 120 QUERIES. IN THE MEANTIME, ASSIGNMENTS COME IN. SO I WRITE THE ARTICLES. WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS I ENDED UP, AFTER ONE YEAR, WITH MORE QUERIES AND ARTICLES THAN I COULD POSSIBLY HANDLE. AND TOOK ON OTHER WRITERS.. THEN PHOTOGRAPHERS. TODAY I WRITE ABOUT 5 ARTICLES A MONTH, WORK ON TWO BOOKS SIMULTANIOUSLY, HAVE A STOCK PHOTO AGENCY, AND ADVERTISING AGENCY--WITH SUCH CLIENTS AS MCIWORLD COM--AND DO ON LINE CLASSES, CONSULTING, ETC. CURRENTLY, I HAVE JOB OFFERS FROM THE US ARMY--THEY NEED WRITERS--IUNIVERSE (THE ELECTRONIC BOOK PUBLISHER), AS WELL AS MARKETING JOBS FROM FOUR COMPANIES. I TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY--ALMOST ALWAYS FREE (ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS ASPECT)? 

frenchfoodADM; ME! 

crystal; YES!! 

hanhayes; ME TOO! 

MHS; OKAY--I THOUGH SO--I AM HEADING FOR LONDON IN TWO WEEKS TO WRITE A STORY ON "TEA TIME AT THE RITZ" IT WILL BE 

Marnie; I did that for 5 years - this year I am glad to have my feet on the ground! 

MHS; PUBLISHED IN PHILIPPINE AIRLINES' MABUHAY AS WELL AS THE U.S. PUBLICATION EPICURIAN. 

Marnie; ? 

MHS; I CONTACTED THE HOTEL AND SAID: "I AM OFFERING YOU $105,000 WORTH OF FREE PUBLICITY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUT MY WIFE AND I UP FOR THREE DAYS, WITH MEALS, AND, OF COURSE, TEA. THEN I CONTACT ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S PRODUCTION COMPANY, THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP, WITH WHOM I HAVE 

frenchfoodADM; I'm doing similar things on my trip to France Michael and you've inspired me to get more on the ball and pursue it even more, Marnie has a question 

MHS; DONE SEVERAL STORIES AND INTERVIEWS, AND GOT FREE TICKETS FOR "MAMMA MIA" AND "WHISTLE IN THE WIND." 

Marnie; tea time at the Ritz - will it be the exact same article for both publications? 

MHS; YES--EXACTLY THE SAME. ANY YOU CAN ALWAYS--OKAY, ALMOST ALWAYS--GET GOOD FREE PICTURES FROM THE PR FOLKS. 

hanhayes; ? 

MHS; PHILIPPINE AIRLINES WILL GET "EXCLUSIVE INFLIGHT RIGHTS" WHILE EPICURIAN WILL GET FIRST U.S. RIGHTS, NEXT QUESTION--OR SHOULD I CONTINUE ON FREEBEES 

frenchfoodADM; I'm going nuts with these ideas, you really know your stuff, Hannah then freebees how about, go ahead Han 

hanhayes; this is about freebies - do airlines pay your way? 

MHS; THE KEY TO GETTING COMPLIMENTARY LODGING, TOURS, TICKETS, ETC. IS TO UNDERSTAND MARKETING AND GIVE THE INDUSTRY HOSTING YOU A CASH VALUE--THEN COME THROUGH FOR THEM. 

MHS IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT GETTING FREE TICKETS RECENTLY. 

Marnie; ? 

MHS; I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FOR MALTA, EGYPT, PHILIPPINES. 

frenchfoodADM; I have to say that I've gotten a free meal and interview with Alain Ducasse through email doing exactly that Michael 

MHS; THE POINT IS THIS: YOU ARE GIVING THEM MONEY-VALUE COVERAGE (SPACE IN MAGAZINES). AND YOU MUST COME THROUGH TO CONTINUE THIS. I ALWAYS SEND CLIPS AND STAY IN TOUCH. BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO BACK! 

frenchfoodADM; that's a great point to keep in mind 

MHS; I HAVE ALSO CONVINCED PUBLISHERS TO BARTER WITH AIRLINES--AND AD FOR A FREE TICKET. I AM DOING THIS NOW MHS WITH EGYPT AIR AND SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN DISCOVERING ARCHAEOLGY. 

MHS REMEMBER, TOO, THE AVERAGE TRAVEL PUBLICATION PAYS ABOUT $500 FOR A FEATURE--$1000 IF YOU ARE LUCKY. THAT MEANS YOU CANNOT AFFORD A TRIP UNLESS IT IS FREE 

frenchfoodADM; Marnie has the next question, that's true 

MHS; THIS GOES FOR OTHER THINGS TOO. I'VE GOTTEN FREE COMPUTER PROGRAMS, GAMES, MUSIC, CLOTHES, ET.C, ETC. 

Marnie; how do you work out the cash value to the industry? 

MHS; SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT ASKING FOR THEIR RATES--IT CAN OFTEN BE FOUND ON LINE. MHS THE BEST DEAL I HAVE EVER MADE "THE GOLDEN GIVE-A-WAY AWARD" WAS TO GET A FREE CHEVY ASTRO IN EXCHANGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN A MCIWORLDCOM PROMO I DID SEVERAL YEARS AGO. OKAY, MORE ADVISE... 

frenchfoodADM; How did you get started? I mean, how long did it take for you to get to this point? 

MHS; UNLIKE MOST WRITERS, I WAS "SELF TOUGHT" IN EUROPE. THUS, I BEGAN READING "BUSINESS" BOOKS, RATHER THAN WRITING BOOKS. 

frenchfoodADM; many of us are still feeling lucky when we get more than 10 cents a word for our articles, we need hope that this will work out for us 

hanhayes; ? 

MHS; I SOON LEARNED THAT MARKETING IS WHAT MAKES ONE SUCCESSFUL IN THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENT. I TOO WORKED FOR 10 CENTS--AND LESS--FOR MANY YEARS. THAT HELP MAKE ME A BETTER WRITER. AND BUILT UP MY CONFIDENCE. 

frenchfoodADM; confidence, the key word I think, Hannah's turn 

MHS; REMEMBER THIS: EDITORS NEED YOU. BUT DON'T WASTE THEIR TIME. GO TO THEM WITH IDEAS. 

hanhayes; Are you able to do most of your market research on the internet or did you collect info the old fashioned way? 

crystal; ? 

MHS PRIOR TO 1995, IT WAS MANUAL--AND TOOK FOREVER. TODAY IT IS 98% INTERNET. REMEMBER: EDITORS NEED YOU. SO YOU SHOULD NOT BE PUT OFF APPROACHING THEM. BUT DON'T WASTE THEIR TIME. GO WITH IDEAS THEY CAN USE. PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES. YOU BE THE EDITOR...WHAT WOULD YOU NEED? AND THAT IS A KEY WORD "NEED!:"" 

frenchfoodADM; that's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard 

MHS; USING THIS SAME APPROACH, I AM ABLE TO GO TO BOOKPUBLISHERS AND SAY, "I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO MAKE YOU MONEY." IN ADDITION, I'LL HELP YOU MARKET IT TO INSURE YOU MAKE MONEY. NEXT QUESTION? 

crystal; I'm a new writer, I'm focusing on online publications that pay, do you think that is wise, or should I venture into print pubs more? 

MHS; GOOD QUESTION. I AM A VETERAN WRITER...AND I TOO AM FOCUSING ON ONLINE PUBLICATIONS. 

Marnie; ? 

MHS YES, CRYSTAL, IT IS A GREAT AREA...AND GROWING. YESTERDAY I RECEIVED AN ASSIGNMENT FOR $1000--FOR AN ARTICLE I HAVE IN MY ARCHIEVES. IT WAS FROM AN ONLINE PUBLICATION AND I WAS ABLE TO OFFER THEM "EXCLUSVIE ELECTRONIC RIGHTS" NEXT? 

crystal; I feel like it's easier to be published online at the moment. Starting to get a following! How do you feel about epublishing? ebooks 

MHS; WELL...BECAUSE I AM STRONGIN MARKETING... I THINK IT IS GREAT--IN FACT, IUNIVERSE, ONE OF THE TOP E-PUBLISHERS, IS GOING OVER A PROPOSAL FOR ME TO BECOME THEIR EUROPEAN DIRECTOR. THAT SAID, LET ME RAMBLE A MINUTE ABOUT MY APPROACH TO E-PUBLISHING 

frenchfoodADM; Congratulations! 

MHS; I HAVE A NOVEL THAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED--BUT NEVER SOLD--BY TWO AGENTS. SO I OFFERED IT TO AN E-PUBLISHER. I DID NOT FOCUS ON THE NOVEL HOWEVER, BUT THE MARKETING. HERE IS WHAT I DID. DEVELOPED THE THEME OF THE NOVEL--AN INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST AND A NAVY AGENT-- INTO A WEB GAME--WHEREBY INDIVIDUALS CAN LOG ON AND BECOME ONE OF THE CHARACTERS. TO PLAY THE GAME, YOU GET DAILY CLUES. THE CLUES ARE WEB- DRIVEN IN THAT WE GET SPONSORS TO PAY $1000 TO HAVE PARTICIPANTS GO TO THEIR PAGE ONCE A WEEK, FOR 6 MONTHS, AND GET CLUES. SO, IN A SENSE, ONE JUMPS FROM WEB SITE TO WEB SITE TRYING TO FIND THE TERRORIST. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALSO CLUES IN THE BOOK--THUS, WE SELL BOOKS. IN ADDITION TO THE WEB GAME, I OFFERED A CD-ROM GAME, AND LOTS OF OTHER MARKETING GIMICS--WRITER'S AT SEA PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEREBY I DO AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS ABOARD U.S. SHIPS AT SEA (THE BOOK COVERS A U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER TOO) SO. I'VE BASICALLY GIVEN THE PUBLISHER A 1 YEAR MARKETING PLAN AND A NOVEL AS WELL. 

MHS THEY MUST NOW PUBLISH THE BOOK, PUT IN CASH, AND GET SPONSORS--AS WELL AS WORK WITH DESIGNERS, ETC. TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN. HOW DO YOU THING THAT BLARE WITCH 

frenchfoodADM; that's one heck of a plan, sounds really fun too 

MHS; PROJECT BECAME A CULT? BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU CAN'T SELL THE NOVEL--BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT A NAMED NOVELIST--SELL THE MARKETING. NEXT? 

frenchfoodADM; Marnie go ahead 

Marnie; On your web site you mention presenting as a business. How does one freelancer (in Australia) do that? 

MHS; YOU REALLY NEED A COPY OF MY LATEST BOOK, "MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR WRITERS" BECAUSE I DEDICATE ABOUT 30 PAGES TO THIS. FIRST, SET YOURSELF UP AS A BUSINESS AND COME UP WITH A NAME AND LOGO. THE BIGGER THE COMPANY--PUBLICATION, MAGAZINE, ETC.-- THE MORE THEY LIKE TO WORK WITH 

frenchfoodADM; it will be added to the list of books recommended at Momwriters.com I'm sure of that 

MHS; BUSINESSES. UNTIL I BEGAN USING THE NAME STRAWBERRY MEDIA AGENCY, I COULD NOT LAND SUCH CLIENTS AS MOBIL OIL AND BANK AMERICA. AFTERWORDS, THOUGH, THEY WERE DEALING WITH A BUSINESS..AND FELT CONFIDENT. I HAVE JUST SIGNED ONE YEAR MARKETING/PR CONTRACTS WITH MCI WORLDCOM, ARROWHEAD SPACE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND RAPID LINK TELECOMMUNICATIONS. CORPORATE WORK PAYS WELL. 

crystal; ! 

MHS; MY MCI DEAL CALLED FOR A $6000 SIGNING FEE. NEXT? I AM SURE YOU ARE 

christophe; Yes I am actually french and I love cooking 

MHS; SAYING, EASY FOR HIM TO SAY, HE'S DONE IT FOR 20+ YEARS...BUT THE TRUTH IS, YOU CAN BE A CELEBRITY WRITING FOR THE LOCAL PAPER ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TAKE ADVANGES OF IT. I WROTE DAILY ARTICLES FOR A LOCAL NEWSPAPER, IN ROME, FOR THREE YEARS. I GOT $10 FOR EACH. HOWEVER, I TURNED THAT INTO A BIG BUSINESS BY EXPANSION--LECTURES, WRITING CLASSES, SELLING MY OWN MATERIALS AS PART OF THE CLASS READING. FOR EXAMPLE, MY FIRST BOOK FOR WRITERS BROUGHT ME $3000. IN ONE YEAR I TURNED THAT INTO $12500--AND NOT FROM BOOK SALES. I BEGAN SELLING EACH CHAPTER AS AN ARTICLE -- GOT MY COLUMN WITH WRITER ON LINE THIS WAY... 

frenchfoodADM; I've noticed that is true with my local newspaper column about the internet, I'm using it to get bigger assignments 

MHS; TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL FREEBEES... 

frenchfoodADM; Poor Christophe got in without a password and was looking to talk about food, I don't know how that happened 

MHS; GET INVITED TO "POLITICAL" ACTIVITIES AS A GUEST OF HONOR--MAKE THE BEST OUT OF EVERYTHING YOU WRITE. 

frenchfoodADM; have you ever done community tv or anything off the wall for promoting your work? 

MHS; I'VE APPEARED ON TV BY WAY OF WHAT I COVERED IN STORIES...LOTS OF INTERVIEWS BY THE MEDIA...AND I TALK ABOUT MYSELF A LOT AT LOCAL SCHOOLS, GROUPS GATHERINGS, ETC. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO BOOST YOUR EGO AND GAIN WORK. THERE IS MORE TO WRITING THAN WRITING--IN FACT, WRITING IS THE HARDEST PART BECOMING A CELEBRITY IS YOUR GOAL...OR SHOULD BE..BE 

frenchfoodADM; you're right, so right 

MHS; BECAUSE "EVERYONE" WANTS TO WORK WITH A CELEBRITY... 

hanhayes; ? 

MHS; I "ALWAYS" DROP NAMES OF PAST CLIENTS-- 

frenchfoodADM; Hannah, go ahead 

hanhayes; When you first started did you set yourself up with fancy brochures, letterheads, etc.? 

MHS; YES. THAT IS PART OF THE "FOOL THEM" GAME. YOU FOOL THEM INTO THINKING THAT YOU ARE BIGGER THAN LIFE. THAT MAKES THEM "WANT YOU" 

crystal; ? 

frenchfoodADM; Michael, it's been an hour, I want to make sure this isn't going to cost you beaucoup $$$ 

MHS; ON MY LETTERHEAD AND PRESENTATION BROCHURES, IT SAYS: STRAWBERRY MEDIA LET'S GIVE IT ANOTHER 15 MINUTES--LOTS OF FUN. 

frenchfoodADM; If you can stay, we're enjoying it, but if not we understand, just don't want you to feel bad about it, great go ahead Crystal 

MHS; I'LL SAY WHEN. 

frenchfoodADM; ok 

crystal; So marketing and confidence is what it takes. My husband has an online media business and I've kept myself seperate. Perhaps joining in is what I should do. Become a marketing genius! 

MHS; BY ALL MEANS. AS I WAS SAYING, MY LETTER HEAD SAYS: STRAWBERRY MEDIA EDITORIAL, MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, PHOTOGRAPHY, ETC. PREPARE A MEDIA KIT ABOUT YOURSELF SEND IT TO LOCAL MEDIA AND OFFER TO TALK ON TV, RADIO, ETC. BECOME AN EXPERT ON ANY ARTICLE IDEA YOU WRITE ABOUT 

crystal; Should queries be from the "business" or the writer? 

MHS; I SEND MY QUERIES ON BUSINESS LETTERHEAD AND SIGN AS "DIRECTOR" 

crystal; good idea! thanks 

frenchfoodADM; And how did you come up with the name Strawberry Media? 

MHS; "SELL" YOUSELF AS ONE THAT OFFERED "EDITORIAL SERVICES" NOT AS A FREELANCE WRITER. THE STRAWBERRY NAME COMES FROM THE CITY WHERE I LIVE--AFRAGOLA (THE LAND OF STRAWBERRIES) SOME EDITORS CATCH IT...ALBEIT FEW 

hanhayes; ? 

MHS; BEFORE I FORGET, I'D BE HAPPY TO STAY IN CONTACT THROUGH E-MAIL pp10013@cybernet.it OF COURSE, IF YOU DON'T BUY MY BOOKS--I WON'T ANSWER. :))) 

frenchfoodADM; thank you Michael, you might wish you hadn't said that, LOL, I'm already checking out the bookstore on another webpage, Hannah, go ahead 

hanhayes; do you find print publications pay more than online publications, in general? Or do you primarily deal with corporate-type sites? 

MHS; WELL, I EXPECT EVERYONE TO BE AT THE OCTOBER WRITERS' HOLIDAY IN ITALY--IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. MHS NO. I FIND JUST THE OPPOSITE. PRINT, GENERALLY, PAY $500 FOR AN ARITCLE, WHEREAS ELECTRONIC PAY ABOUT $.70 A WORD 0R $700 FOR 1000. IT IS ALSO EASIER TO BREAK INTO ELECTRONIC MAGAZINES. NEXT? 

frenchfoodADM; Sure, let me save up a few dollars from my next assignment, but seriously, that would be a great vacation for anyone serious about writing 

crystal; are your books available at your website? 

MHS; FIRST, ANNE--IS THERE A PLACE BETTER THAN ITALY? IF SO, I'VE WAISTED MUCH OF MY LIFE. FOR CRYSTAL... I STARTED SELLING MY OWN BOOKS, BUT IT BECAME TOO MUCH OF A HASSLE...I NOW DIRECT EVERYONE TO AMAZON.COM OR ALLWORTH.COM. 

crystal; thanx! 

frenchfoodADM' I love France and I'm sure Italy is just as beautiful if not more so, believe me, Michigan can be beautiful, but not this time o year, not for me anyway, any more questions anyone? 

MHS; TELL ME ABOUT IT...THAT'S WHY I CHOSE SOUTHERN ITALY. 

hanhayes; I'd like to know about the writers holiday in Oct 

frenchfoodADM; My hubby is Italian, we'll be visiting there within a year or so 

hanhayes; My husband and I have been to Italy 3 times and dream of living there. 

MHS; PLEASE GO TO: (Link not available at this time). IF YOU COME WITH YOUR HUSBAND, I'LL GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT. 

hanhayes; Great! Thanks! 

frenchfoodADM; you should go to this Hannah and report back to momwriters! I'll provide webspace if you do 

MHS; THE HOLIDAY WILL TAKE YOU TO NEW HEIGHTS IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER, AS WELL AS OFFER 3 COOKING CLASSES, TOURS, ETC. 

hanhayes; That's a great idea! 

MHS; I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS--AND WILL TELL YOU WHEN TO BREAK IN...PLEASE... MY APPROACH TO WRITING HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO MAKE IT FUN...THAT IS HOW I GOT INTO MARKETING... BECAUSE I WANTED TO CUT DEALS AND TO FILL THE NEEDS OF EDITORS. ..AT THE SAME TIME, I HAD TO MAKE A LIVING. SO I STUDIED NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE EDITOR'S NEEDS. SOON I WAS SUGGESTING THAT THEY DO GUIDES TO CERTAIN AREAS--AND, NATURALLY, I WRITE EVERYTHING. I SHOWED THEM HOW THEY COULD GET ADVERTISING REVENUE...AND THEY DID. SO I BECAME A VALUABLE ASSET. I RECENTLY DID THIS WITH SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN DISCOVERING ARCHAEOLOGY. I SHOWED THE PUBISHER HOW I COULD WRITE ARTICLES, HE COULD GET ADVERTISERS, THAT WOULD IN TURN GIVE ME FREE TRIPS, AND EVERYONE WOULD BE HAPPY. I THEN USED MY DISCOVERY CHANNEL CONTACTS AND PUT THEM WITH THE SCI. AM. PUBLISHERS--THEY IN TURN MADE MONEY FOR EACH OTHER. AND I BECAME MORE VALUABLE TO EACH. NOW, SCI. AM. IS OFFERING TO DO A MAGAZINE FOR DISCOVERY--SOMETHING I FOUND OUT ABOUT AND PUT EVERYONE TOGETHER. BOTTOM LINE, IF THE MAGAZINE GOES, I WILL BE THE SCI.AM-DISCOVERY COORDINATOR. BUT THE FUN DOES NOT STOP THERE. I ALSO GOT SCI.AM. DISCOVERING ARCHAEOLOGY LINKED TO A BOOK PACKAGER... AFTER I SHOWED EACH THAT THE MAGAZINE ARTICLES ABOUT BE DEVELOPED INTO A BOOK SERIES. WHEN THE BOOKS SELL, I AM AUTOMATICALLY THE EDITOR. AND IN SOME CASES, THE WRITER FOR THE TITLES. YOU SEE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT FUN--WHETHER WORKING ON LARGE SCALE OR SMALL. IT'S A GAME, AND YOU SHOULD PLAY IT SO THAT IT IS ENJOYABLE. WHEN IT STOPS BEING FUN, GET OUT. OKAY..NEXT. ANNE? MARNIE? 

crystal; congrats Michael! that's outstanding!! 

frenchfoodADM; How do you schedule your day? 

Marnie; where do you get the time to do all this? 

frenchfoodADM; you do so many things, are you working many hours? 

MHS; BUT IT REALLY ISN'T..IT IS SIMPLY "HELPING" OTHERS TO HELP YOU. MY DAY...? WELL I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ASK ME THE SAME THING. TO ME A DAY WITHOUT 40-125 MESSAGES IS DULL. I'M A VERY GOOD ORGANIZER...AND EVEN HAVE TIME TO MAKE THE BED EACH MORNING, DO THE DISHES AT LUNCH, AND FIX MY WIFE DINER--SHE LOVES IT (A MODERN ITALIAN) YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO...WHENYOU DO NOT HAVE TO COMUTE. ANOTHER 10 MINTUES--SHOT AWAY! 

frenchfoodADM; what do you like to fix for dinner? I'm always thinking of food, what can I say 

MHS; SEVERAL YEARS AGO...AFTER EATING ITALIAN NIGHT-AND-DAY...I GOT INTO FIXING U.S. STYLE SANDWICHES FOR DINNER. 

Marnie; ? 

frenchfoodADM; Marnie has a question 

MHS; LOVE TO HEAR IT 

Marnie; Is it an advantage for you to be living in an exotic location? 

MHS EXOTIC...I AM LAUGHING...I'VE WRITTEN A NON-FICTION BOOK PROPOSAL CALLED "HELP, I'M IN LOVE WITH AN ITALIAN. IT TALKS ABOUT MY MIS=ADVENTURES HERE--INCLUDING BEING RAIDED BY 27 ANTI- TERRORIST POLICE, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT I WAS TRYING TO BLOW UP A LOCAL MILITARY BASE...NOW THAT IS EXOTIC. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THOUGH, YES. IT HAS HELPED. NOW FOR SELLING ARTICLES, BUT TO BE A BETTER WRITER. LIVING ABROAD HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE WORLD. I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY HEMINGWAY AND OTHERS SPEND SO MUCH TIME ABROAD. ONE CAN ONLY REACH A CERTAIN LEVEL IN THEIR WRITING CAREER BY LIVING IN ONE PLACE AND VIEWING THE WORLD FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE. NEXT? 

frenchfoodADM; Why did they think you were trying to blow up a military base? 

frenchfoodADM; I mean, we gotta know now 

MHS; I WAS, AT THAT TIME, DISTRIBUTING A FREE MAGAZINE TO THE U.S. AND NATO BASES. THERE WAS A STRIKE AND THE DRIVER COULD NOT GET ON BASE. SO WE OFFLOADED THE BOXES IN A PARKING LOT AND I TOOK THEM IN THE BASE WITH MY CAR. A POLICE CAR WENT BY, THOUGHT WE HAD BOMBS IN THE BOXES AND THE NEXT DAY MY APARTMENT BUILDING WAS RAIDED. THE BOOK ALSO TALKS ABOUT BE FISHING IN A GOVERNMENT STOCKED POND -- AND GETTING CAUGHT. A FIVE YEAR COURT CASE--FOR AN AUTO ACCIDENT -- IN WHICH CASE THE OTHER GUY DIES AND, THOUGH I WON GOT NOTHING -- EXCEPT HAVING TO PAY ALL THE LEGAL FEES. GREAT STORIES ABOUT LIVING AN "EXOTIC" LIFE -- BUT I LOVE IT. NEXT? 

hanhayes; ? 

frenchfoodADM; accident in Italy?, Hannah go ahead 

MHS; YES--ONE OF ABOUT A ZILLION. 

hanhayes; Have you sold many travel pieces about Italy? 

MHS; TOO MANY TO COUNT. I AM A TRAVEL WRITER BY DEFAULT. EDITOR SAY, "OH, YOU LIVE IN ITALY. CAN YOU DO THIS ONE FOR ME?" ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING EDITOR OR CORRESPONDENT FOR: FAMILY, OFF DUTY, R&R , SALUTE (ALL TRAVEL), CARDIOLOGY WORLD NEWS, 

crystal; ? 

MHS; ARMED FORCES JOURNAL, AP (WAR CORRESPONDENT), AND MANY OTHERS. CRYSTAL--I KNOW YOU HAVE A QUESTION 

frenchfoodADM; LOl 

crystal; when did you know you wanted to be a writer? LOL! 

MHS; THERE COMES A TIME IN EVERYONE'S LIFE, I BELIEVE, THAT THEY MUST MAKE A CHOICE. I HAD A 9-TO-5 JOB, MAKING ABOUT $3500 A YEAR, IN 1980, AND A COMPANY CAR. I WAS DOING LOTS OF WRITING ON THE SIDE. I WALKED OUT, WENT HOME AND TOLD MY WIFE, "I'M A WRITER." I "KNEW" I WAS A WRITER. I DID NOT SAY, "I WANT TO BE A WRITER. I WAS A WRITER." 

frenchfoodADM; How did she take that statement at the time? 

MHS; AND, THAT CONCIOUS DECISION CHANGED MY LIFE. MY WIFE MERELY SAID, "AS LONG AS YOU MAKE AS MUCH MONEY DOING WHAT YOU WANT AS YOU DO NOW, FINE. LAST YEAR I MADE ABOUT $82K -- AND SHE SAID IT WASN'T ENOUGH! MY INLAWS, HOWEVER, CALLED ME A BUMB..AND 

frenchfoodADM; sounds like my husband, he's happy now that I'm making real money, 

MHS; DESPITE ALL MY SUCCESS--IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT, I CALL IT ENTERTAINMENT--THEY STILL CALL ME A BUMB! ITALIANS, YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE 'EM. 

frenchfoodADM; for making 82k? I wish my dh was a bum! 

hanhayes; I'm sorry to break in but I have to go - I wanted to say thanks. This was SO informative and inspiring! 

MHS; I TOO MUCH RUN...AND THANK YOU...ALL OF YOU. 

hanhayes; See you in October I hope! 

frenchfoodADM; I'm glad you made it hannah, make sure you tell everyone what they misseed today, Thank you so much Michael, we'll be posting your info. on the momwriters.com site 

crystal; Thank you for chatting with us! learned a lot 

MHS; AGAIN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CHAT BY E-MAIL AT pp10013@cybernet.it ...it has been my pleasure.